Book mailing folder



Sept. 25, 1962 R. H. JOHNSON 3,055,574

BOOK MAILING FOLDER Filed Aug. 1, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet l M A j M T ZO arm/7am United States Patent Gil-ice 3,055,574 BOOK MAILING FOLDER Richard H. Johnson, Arlington Heights, 111., assignor to Stone Container Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 128,513 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-40) This invention relates generally to paperboard containers and more particularly, relates to an improved carton or folder constructed from a single, integral blank which is especially suitable for mailing articles, such as books.

Heretofore, mailing folders or cartons of the general type with which the invention is concerned have been less than satisfactory in availing the optimum advantages and features desired for such a structure. Many such previous cartons have been excessively complicated and hence, expensive, to manufacture by means of high speed production techniques by reason of the intricate panel and flap arrangements employed. Other cartons, although of a lesser degree of complicated structure have been constructed fo packaging of a particular article of predetermined size and shape and did not permit variation in the thickness of the package for accommodat ing articles of different size and/ or shape. Further, previous carton structures were not capable of repeated use, such as, for instance, for return of a book by a purchaser, because their construction did not permit the carton to be opened readily without mutilating or destroyirrg either the entire carton or flap portions thereof so as not to permit the carton to be re-sealed conveniently. Another disadvantage of previous mailing cartons was the failure to provide structure for adequate protection for the packaged book, for instance, during mailing and handling of the carton as a result of which it was not uncommon to have corners and edges of the book distorted and mutilated during shipment.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a carton or folder of the character described which can be assembled from a relatively simple and economical paperboard blank and which is characterized by a construction capable of substantially eliminating the disadvantages enumerated hereinabove, as well as others not specified.

A major object of the invention is to provide a folder or carton for shipment of books or other articles of similar size and proportions by mailing, for instance, which comprises a sleeve of rectangular cross-section having a pair of opposite side walls normally open and adapted to be closed fo packaging of the article and opposite end walls, or webs, of generally square-pleated construction adapted to be collapsed toward the packaged article, said end walls functioning to center the article in the package when so collapsed and providing cushioning means for protecting the article during shipment thereof.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a carton of the character described having said opposite side and end walls, or webs selectively expandable one relative to the other to permit limited variation in the thickness of the carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton of the character described which can be sealed in a manner permitting the carton to be opened readily without Patented Sept. 25, 1962 mutilating or damaging the same so that the same carton can be used repeatedly.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a carton of the character described that is formed from a pro-formed integral blank of corrugated paperboard or the like, said blank adapted to be folded to a first stage of assembly in which the opposite end walls of the carton are closed and the opposite side walls are open and the carton thus assembled can be flattened for convenient and economical storage and shipment prior to use thereof, and which can be erected to a second stage of assembly readily and rapidly for inserting the article therein and sealing of the carton for mailing, for instance.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an integral pre-cut paperboard blank capable of being folded and assembled to form the carton or folder having the advantages herein enumerated.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a carton'of the character described which is economical to manufacture and use, which is sturdy, compact and easily handled, which not only centers the book in the carton but also prevents the same from being jostled about during shipment or mailing, and which provides for easy access thereinto both for packaging and removal of the article.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure herein evolves. A preferred embodiment, as well as desirable modifications permitted =by principles of the invention, have been described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is contemplated that minor variations may occur to the skilled artisan without departing from the scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings wherein the same characters of reference have been employed to identify the same or equivalent parts throughout the several figures thereof:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carton or folder embodying the invention fully assembled and sealed with a book, for instance, packaged therein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of said folder in a partial condition of assembly with the side Walls thereof open and FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a book in the process of being inserted into the partially assembled folder.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken through the folder along the line 44 of FIG. 1 and in the direction indicated generally.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the folder along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1 and in the direction indicated generally.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the integral blank from which the folder or carton of FIG. 1 is assembled.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of an integral blank for assembling a modified form of' folder embodying the invention and FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken vertically through said modified form of folder to illustrate the resulting alternative collapsible end wall, or end web structure thereof.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of another modified form of integral blank for assembling another modified form of folder embodying the invention and FIG. l0 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through said modified folder to illustrate the resulting alternative collapsible end wall, or end web structure thereof.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are views similar respectively to views 7 and 8, and showing another modified form of blank and modified carton resulting therefrom.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a folder embodying the invention assembled to an expanded condition for packaging a book, for instance, which has more pages than the book shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view taken through the folder of FIG. 13 in which books have been packaged.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank from which a folder embodying the invention can be assembled.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary perspective view looking toward a collapsible end wall, or end web structure of the carton illustrated in FIG. 8 and showing the use of a peelable adhesive tape which permits opening of the carton without mutilating the same.

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view looking toward a collapsible end wall, or end web structure of the carton of FIG. 13 and showing said peelable adhesive tape employed for a similar purpose.

Reference character 10 in FIG. 1 designates generally a carton or folder embodying the invention completely assembled and sealed with an article packaged therein. The packaged article may comprise a book 11, as seen being inserted in the carton in FIG. 3, although the carton may be used advantageously for packaging of some other article or articles. Said carton or folder 10 is comprised of a rectangular sleeve formed of a suitable paperboard material having a pair of parallel walls 14 and 16 forming the top and bottom walls of the folder respectively, opposite end walls, such as the end wall 18 and opposite side walls 19. Each of the end walls 18 is recessed or offset inwardly relative to the corners 20 of the sleeve and are hingedly connected to the walls 14 and 16 along said corners 20 so as to permit collapse of the carton into an end wall structure that may be characterized as a square pleat. The folder can be assembled to a preliminary stage wherein at least one of the side walls is open so as to permit insertion of an article, such as book 11, between the end walls 18 into the folder and the folder sealed thereafter. The recessed or inwardly olfset end walls 18 engage the article 11 with said article protected by the outwardly protruding corners 20 of the sleeve during mailing or shipment of the package 10.

Referring to FIG. 6, the carton 10 preferably can be assembled from a simple, integral sheet or blank 24 of paperboard material such as corrugated board, pressed board or the like which may be stamped or die-cut advantageously from a continuous web of sheet material passed at high speed through automatic punch press equipment. Blank 24 is comprised of a pair of rectangular panels 26 and 28 of substantially identical size. The panels 26 and 28 are conjoined end to end by an end wall formation 30 which is doubly crossed by parallel folds at 38 and therefore is comprised of three strips 32, 34 and 36 connected side by side. The strips 32 and 36 are substantially identical in width and narrower than the strip 34, the strip 34 being located between the outer strips 32 and 36 and connected to adjacent edges thereof along fold lines 38. Each strip 32 and 36 is hingedly connected to a panel 26 and 28 respectively along the fold line 40. Considering the length of the blank 24 to be from left to right in FIG. 6, the width of wall portion 30 is slightly less than the width of a panel 26 or 28. Each panel 26 and 28 is notched at the corner 42 thereof adjacent the connection of said panel with the end wall formation 30.

Each panel 26 and 28 has an identical end flap 44 hingedly connected thereto along the fold line 46. Each end flap 44 has a transverse score line 48 entirely across the same dividing the end flap into a pair of strips 50 and 52. Dimension-wise, strip 50 of each end flap 44 is identical to strip 32 or 36 and strip 52 is identical to strip 34.

4 Each panel 26 and 28 has its opposite corners 42 notched in the same manner as described for corners 42.

Each panel also has a pair of side flaps 54 and 56 respectively hinged along opposite longitudinal edges 58 thereof, said side flaps each being equal in width to the width of strip 34 or 52. The side flaps extend continuously between opposite notched corners 42 and 42' of the panels 26 and 28.

The carton 10 is represented in two stages of assembly thereof in FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively, each stage of assembly being accomplished by selective folding of the blank 24 and securing certain portions thereof together, as will now be explained. Initially, the blank of FIG. 6 is folded transversely along a fold line 40, for instance, to superimpose the panels 26 and 28 one over the other and to bring the end flaps 44 together in close proximity. Thus, the panel 26 becomes the bottom wall 16 and the panel 28 becomes the top wall 14 of the car-ton. The strips 52 of adjacent end flaps 44 then can be secured together in face-to-face contact preferably by any suitable adhesive or mechanical fastener, if desired, to become one of the end walls 18 of the folder 10. The end Wall portion 30 becomes the opposite end wall 18 of the carton and is identical in proportions to the end wall formed by conjoined end flaps 44 with the exception of the connected strips 52. The flaps 54 and 56 need not be secured together at this point in the assembly of the folder.

At this stage of assembly, the carton can be flattened out by collapsing the end walls along the lines of fold 4t) and 46 so that the panels 26 and 28 are engaged face to face but, laterally displaced one relative to the other. Thus, the flattened carton can be stored and shipped conveniently to users thereof in this flattened condition which has not been illustrated specifically because of the readily understood nature thereof.

To load the carton, the flattened, partially assembled blank is opened by spreading the walls 14 and 16 apart the fullest extent permitted by the end wall structures. The book 11 can be inserted into the carton through one of the open side walls thereof and the panels 26 and 28 moved one toward the other to callapse the end walls of the carton to the condition thereof shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The strips 34 and 52 are recessed and normal to panels 26 and 28. With the book on the interior of the carton, collapsing of the end walls will result in the median strip 34 and strips 52 engaging the book and centering the same in the carton.

Another manner of packaging the book in the carton is first to collapse the same to the condition thereof shown in FIG. 3 wherein one pair of side flaps 54 and 56 has been secured together while the other pair of side flaps is not secured together leaving one side wall of the carton open. The book can then be inserted into the carton through the open side wall thereof as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thereafter, the carton can be sealed by bringing the side flaps 54 and 56 together face-to-face and securing them by suitable means.

Referring to FIGS. 7 through 12, three modified forms of the invention are illustrated, the integral blanks from which each such carton is formed being identified respectively by the reference characters 24A, 24B and 24C. Portions of each of said modified blanks equivalent to blank 24 will be identified by like reference characters but including the alphabetical character assigned to the particular modified form.

The blank 24A in FIG. 7 is comprised of a pair of end-to-end connected panels 26A and 28A each having side flaps 54A and 56A. The panels 26A and 28A are connected by an end wall formation (not shown) identical to end wall formation 30 of blank 24. However, one of the panels, such as panel 26A, does not have an end flap. The other panel 28A has an end flap 60 hinged thereto along score line 61 having a pair of transverse score lines 62 dividing the flap 60 into three strips 63, 64 and 65. The strips 63 and 65 are identical and the strip 64 is 10- cated between the two other strips and normally is wider. Also, the width of strip 64 is similar to a flap 54A or 56A.

In FIG. 8, the reference character A represents the carton assembled from the blank 24A. The carton 10A can be assembled in the manner discussed in connection with carton 10. The major difference between carton 10A and carton 10 is in the end wall structure afforded by flap 60. The strip 64 is recessed relative to the corners 46A and the strip 63 is secured to the panel 26A forming the upper wall of the carton by means of an adhesive coated band or tape 66. The adhesive tape 66 is coated on one side thereof by an adhesive selected to permit the tape to be peeled readily from the juncture of strip 63 and panel 26A. Thus, the carton 10A can be opened conveniently without mutilating same and used repeatedly merely by resealing same with another piece of adhesive tape. The closed end wall is shown in FIG. 16 also.

The blank 24B seen in FIG. 9 is substantially the same as blank 24A with the exception of the end flap 70 hingedly connected to the panel 288 along fold line 72. The end flap 70 is traversed by four fold lines 73 selectively spaced apart to provide the strips 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78. The strip 75 becomes the recessed end wall of the carton 10B seen in FIG. 10 when blank 24B is assembled. Strip 73 is engaged against panel 28B and strip 76 is engaged against panel 26B. The strip 77 is folded around the edge of the panel 26B and the strip 78 is engaged on the outside surface of panel 26B and may be secured thereto by suitable adhesive or by mechanical fasteners, such as metal staples.

In FIG. 11, the blank 240 is provided with an end flap secured to each of the panels 26C and 28C. The end flap 60C secured to panel 28C along fold line 80 is substantially identical to end flap 60 of FIG. 7. The end flap 82 is the same as a strip 50 of FIG. 6. Upon assembling the blank 24C to form carton 10C, the end wall resulting from juncture of flaps 60C and 82 has the flap 82 folded around the edge and against the underside of panel 26A-to which it may be secured adhesively.

Referring to FIGS. 13 through 17, the folder designated 10A in FIG. 13 is assembled from the blank 24A shown in a partially assembled condition in FIG. 15. The partially assembled blank 24A has been folded to a condition whereby the end flap 60 can be secured to the panel 26A by means of the tape 66. Note that the outer edge of the strip is spaced from the adjacent edge of the panel 26A as indicated by the line 84. Thus, the folder can be flattened and shipped in this partially assembled condition with side flaps 54A and 56A not secured together.

However, it will be noted that the carton 10A has been assembled to a condition wherein the distance between the top and bottom Walls thereof is greater than that shown for carton 10. In the expanded condition, the carton 10A can hold two books 11A and 118 the combined thickness of which is greater than that of book 11. As seen in FIG. 14 where the books 11A and 11B are in the carton, the end walls 18A are expanded, that is to say, the strip portions 63 and 65 are inclined respectively relative to the top and bottom walls of the carton. The same is true for corresponding parts of the opposite end wall portion 30A. The side flaps 54A and 56A overlap, as seen in FIG. 13, however, they are not in entire faceto-face contact. The side flaps can be secured together by adhesive in desired displaced relationship one relative to the other to accommodate articles of greater thickness, such as the books 11A and 1113.

To open the carton, the tape 66 is stripped from the juncture of flap 60 with panel 26A and the flap 60 pulled out from between panels 26A and 28A, as seen in FIG. 13. To close the carton again, the flap 60' is replaced between said panels 26A and 28A and a band or tape 66 replaced at the juncture of panel 26A and the flap 60, as seen in FIG. 17.

It is believed that the invention has been described in sufiicient detail to enable the skilled artisan to understand and practice the same. The invention has been pointed out carefully in the claims hereto appended in language intended to be broadly construed commensurate with the contribution to the arts and sciences made thereby.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A shipping folder for a book or the like article comprising, an open-ended sleeve formed of a pair of rectangular panels adapted to be spaced one from the other in parallel relation to accommodate such article therebetween, the rectangular panels of said pair having first opposite edges and second opposite edges, a pair of rectangular and relatively flexible webs, each interconnecting the juxtaposed first edges of the panels, respectively, to define said sleeve with said panels and each web having two parallel folds to provide two outer web strips and a median strip, the outer strip of each web making a hinged connection with a juxtaposed one of said panel edges, and the median strip of each web being arranged to move inwardly as the panels are moved toward one another for collapsing said webs, and the second opposite panel edges having flap means adapted to close off the open ends of the sleeve and confine an article disposed in said folder.

2. A folder as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one web of said pair is conjoined to one of the first edges of one of said rectangular panels.

'3. A folder as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one web of said pair is integral with both rectangular panels of said pair.

4. A folder as set forth in claim 3 wherein the remaining web of said pair is integral with at least one rectangular panel of said pair.

5. A shipping folder for a book or the like article comprising, an open-ended sleeve formed of a pair of rectangular panels adapted to be spacedone from the other in parallel relation to accommodate such article therebetween, the rectangular panels of said pair each having first opposite edges and second opposite edges, a pair of rectangular webs, each web of said pair having first opposite edges substantially corresponding in length to the juxtaposed first edges of said rectangular panels, the first opposite edges of each web being hingedly connected with corresponding first edges of said panels, said Webs, further, each comprising two folds, mutually parallel and parallel with the hinged connection to said rectangular panel opposite edges, thereby to define first and second outer web strips each for hinged connection to one first edge of opposite ones of said rectangular panels and a median web strip hingedly connected to both said outer web strips along said folds, respectively, whereby both said median web strips are movably freely in a direction parallel to the plane of said panels for collapsing and expanding said webs in response to movements of said panels toward and away from one another, and flap means hingedly associated with each of the second opposite edges of said rectangular panels for closing the corresponding ends of said sleeve and confining an article disposed therein.

6. A shipping folder for a book or like article formed of a single blank of foldable material comprising, first and second like rectangular panels, each having first and second pairs of opposite edges, first and second like rectangular webs each having a first and a second pair of opposite edges, the opposite web edges of said first edge pair corresponding in length to the opposite panel edges of said panel first pair, said last named web and panel edges being adapted for hinged connection, the webs, each, further having two folds parallel to the opposite web edges of said first pair to define three web strips of like extent, a median strip and two outer strips, the outer strips being hingedly connected to said median strip and being respectively adapted for hinged connection to the juxtaposed first pair edges of said first and second panels, and plural flap means respectively connected foldably to the panel edges of said second pairs, whereby hinged folding of said panels and said webs will establish an open ended sleeve having one dimension variable in correspondence with hinged movement of said median strips, and adapted to be closed at opposite ends upon folding of said flap means over the open ends of said sleeves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ullman Sept. 29, Hofman Jan. 29, Walmsley Apr. 25, Rosen July 19, Shirley Apr. 8,

FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Jan. 16, 

